Friends General Conference, with Divine guidance, nurtures the spiritual vitality of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers) by providing programs and services for Friends, meetings, and seekers. These programs and services are made possible through the work of paid staff and Central Committee, the governing body of FGC. Central Committee consists of volunteer representatives appointed by member yearly meetings and independently affiliated monthly meetings. Central Committee has other committees that have been created after discernment of needs of the community. As these needs evolve and transform, so does the roster of committees.
Members
Officers of Central Committee
| Marvin Barnes | Presiding Clerk |
| Katrina McQuail | Assistant Presiding Clerk |
| Mathilda Navias | Recording Clerk |
| David Nachman | Assistant Recording Clerk |
| Colby Abazs | Treasurer |
| Cari Burke-Kolehmainen | Assistant Treasurer |
Committees
| Development | Development is responsible for fundraising to support the program activities of FGC and working to promote our services among affiliated yearly and monthly meetings. | Anne Pomeroy | Clerk |
| Finance | Finance recommends fiscal policy, develops investment policy, prepares the annual budget for approval by Central Committee, and considers longer-range financial trends and projections. | John Smallwood | Clerk |
| Personnel | Personnel takes responsibility for personnel practices within FGC and has special care for the welfare of all staff members. | Carrie Karhnak-Glasby | Clerk |
| Frank Barch | Assistant Clerk | ||
| Organizational Guide | This committee prepares recommended changes to FGC’s “Organizational Guide” – the official guide to the objectives, goals, program purposes, functions and operational details of the organization. | Joan Broadfield | Clerk |
| Institutional Assessment Implementation Committee | IAIC provides support, leadership and accountability to FGC staff and volunteers in their efforts to make FGC an actively antiracist organization, including FGC-affiliated Monthly and Yearly Meetings. | Miriam Mulsow | Co-Clerk |
| tom kunesh | Co-Clerk | ||
| Committee for Nurturing Ministries (CNM) | CNM develops resources to encourage spiritual growth. These resources may engage youth, enhance racial diversity, or educate. | Janice Domanik | Clerk |
| Friends for Racial Equity & Education | FREE brings anti-racism training to staff and Central Committee. Committee members include both volunteers and staff. | Janice Domanik | Clerk |
| Long Range Conference Planning | LRCP establishes policies and procedures for small events an the annual Gathering, selecting sites and Gathering clerks, approving the budget, and providing support and evaluation. | Karen Snare | Co-Clerk |
| Ellie Rosenberg | Co-Clerk | ||
| Publications & Distribution | P&D supports QuakerPress of FGC and QuakerBooks of FGC, helping to discern new materials to publish and making hundreds of Quaker titles available to Friends. | Nancy Moore | Clerk |
| Robert Goren | Assistant Clerk | ||
| Christian & Interfaith Relations | CIRC is responsible for the ecumenical and interfaith work of FGC, including participation in the World Council of Churches. It works to build a greater understanding across religious divisions. | Ann Riggs | Clerk |
| Friends Meetinghouse Fund | FMHF helps Meetings get mortgage loans and grants so they can purchase, construct, renovate or expand meetinghouses. Committee members serve as directors on an autonomous nonprofit organization. FGC’s Central Committee is the designated body for naming directors. | Bert Frey | Clerk |
| Nominating | Through consultation and prayerful discernment, Nominating brings the names of Friends forward to Central Committee, taking care to match spiritual gifts with responsibilities. | Susan Taylor | Interim Clerk |
| Naming | Appointed by Central Committee, the Naming Committee brings names forward to the Nominating Committee. |
Yearly Meeting Representatives
2024 list below. List will be updated by the end of 2025.
Alaska Friends Conference
- David Bantz
- Jim Cheydleur
- Doug Mertz
- Nicole Whittington-Evans, ex officio
Baltimore Yearly Meeting
- Stephanie Bean, ex officio
- Michelle Bellows
- Laura Butler
- Rebecca Haines Rosenberg
- martin melville
- Nancy Moore
- Clinton Pettus
- Ann Riggs
- John Smallwood
Canadian Yearly Meeting
- Katharine Carmichael, ex officio
- Celia Cheatley, ex officio
- Virginia Dawson, ex officio
- Jaya Karsemeyer
- Martha Laing, ex officio
- Caileigh Morrison, ex officio
- Anne Trudell
Illinois Yearly Meeting of Friends
- Trevor Brandt
- Kevin Brubaker, ex officio
- Janice Domanik
- Lilith Swygert
Directly Affiliated Monthly Meetings
- Carol Barta
- Grace Gifford
- Jim Huber
- Sharon Terhune
- Lynn Zeleski
Intermountain Yearly Meeting
- Ann Beauchamp
- Jennifer Ollman
- Bruce Thron-Weber, ex officio
Lake Erie Yearly Meeting
- Rick Adams
- Marvin Barnes
- Ellerie Brownfain
- Cari Burke Kolehmainen
- Joseph Mills, ex officio
- Brad Shaw
New England Yearly Meeting
- Barbara Dakota
- Sally Farneth
- Rebecca Leuchak, ex officio
New York Yearly Meeting
- Chad Giletta
- Helen Mullin
- Mathilda Navias
- Anne Pomeroy
- Ellie Rosenberg
- Kira Smith
- Gloria Thompson, ex officio
North Pacific Yearly Meeting
- Madison Paulus
Northern Yearly Meeting
- Colby Abazs
- John Greenler
- Corrina Greenler
- Shel Gross, ex officio
- Marijke van Roojen
Ohio Valley Yearly Meeting
- Karen Atcheson
- Barry Zalph, ex officio
Pacific Yearly Meeting
- Michelle Bellows
- Robin DuRant, ex officio
- Carl Magruder
Philadelphia Yearly Meeting
- Frank Barch
- Keith Barch
- Howard Frysinger
- Carrie Karhnak-Glasby
- Nikki Mosgrove, ex officio
- Carter Nash
- Laura Pickering Ford
- Robert Rosenthal
- Chloe Rosenthal
- Melissa Rycroft
- Barry Scott
- Carl Stanton
- Anthony Stover
Piedmont Friends – Yearly Meeting and Fellowship
- Marian Beane, ex officio
- David Haines
- Kris Loy
- Nancy Riemer, ex officio
- John Shuford, ex officio
South Central Yearly Meeting
- Anne Collins
- Richard Corl, ex officio
- Jan Michael
Southeastern Yearly Meeting
- Bill Carlie, ex officio
- Herbert Haigh
- Susan Taylor
- Susan Wade
Southern Appalachian Yearly Meeting & Association
- Jennifer Dickie, ex officio
- Margaret Farmer
- Elaine Giletta
- Paul Mangelsdorf
Unaffiliated
- Katrina McQuail
- David Nachman
Access
Volunteer
Friends interested in volunteering for Central Committee should speak with their Yearly Meeting’s nominating committee or visit the Volunteer with FGC page and complete the volunteer survey. One need not be a member of Central Committee to volunteer for many FGC-related projects.